Funding Models
Establish Your Own Fund
Thanks to the generosity of donors like you, for more than 40 years, the Community Foundation has supported Island nonprofits and residents through our annual grant and scholarship programs. Please consider creating a new fund to ensure our island thrives for generations to come.
The oldest overnight residential camp for people with disabilities in America, Camp Jabberwocky is a place of joy, belonging, adventure, and respite—run almost entirely by volunteers. An MVCF grant ensures five Martha’s Vineyard residents with disabilities can attend camp, regardless of their ability to pay tuition.
Fund Types: Many Options to Meet your Goals
- Grant Funds
Establishing a grant fund is an effective way to further your philanthropic priorities. You can decide if you want to be involved in grant selection or defer to the Grants Committee, composed of the Board of Directors, who carefully vets competitive grant applications and makes awards based on community need, impact, and organizational capacity. - Scholarship Funds
If education is your priority, consider launching a scholarship fund to help Island students pursue college degrees and/or Island adults gain professional training and certification. If desired, you can specify scholarship guidelines and participate in the selection process with the Community Foundation’s Scholarship Committee. - Donor Advised Funds (DAF)
Make tax-deductible donations of cash, securities, or appreciated assets into a DAF and take an immediate tax deduction while your investment grows tax-free. You can structure your DAF investment and disbursements to best meet your charitable goals while the MVCF manages and administers the fund on your behalf. Many of our donors consider their DAF their “charitable checkbook” for the Vineyard. - Field of Interest Funds
If you have a special interest in a specific Island need or population, consider establishing a fund targeted to initiatives that support areas such as environmental education, support for elders, or affordable housing.
GRANTS FUNDS AT WORK
Conservation, after-school youth enrichment, and food security are a few of the critical initiatives that benefit from the generosity of MVCF donors.
Fund Structures
- Endowed Fund
The Community Foundation’s current endowment of $13 million benefits Martha’s Vineyard now and in perpetuity. When you establish an endowed fund, a set percentage of the fund balance, typically 4%, is earmarked to fund grants annually to the causes you care about. The minimum amount to establish an endowed fund is $25,000. - Non Endowed Fund
When you establish a non-endowed fund, the fund balance is wholly available for granting. This offers you the flexibility to grant any amount of the balance, and your balance is not subject to market fluctuations. The minimum contribution for a non-endowed fund is $5,000.
Contact Executive Director Paul Schulz at or call (508) 338-4665 to learn more about fund types and structures.
See Existing Funds for Reference